The illustrious surname Kenndy finds its origin in the rocky, sea swept coastal area of southwestern England known as Cornwall. Although surnames were fairly widespread in medieval England, people were originally known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted is extremely interesting. As populations grew, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Lords and their tenants often became known by the name of the feudal territory they owned or lived on. Unlike most Celtic peoples, who favored patronymic names, the Cornish predominantly used local surnames. This was due to the heavy political and cultural influence of the English upon the Cornish People at the time that surnames first came into use. Local surnames were derived from where a person lived, held land, or was born. While many Cornish surnames of this sort appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames derived from lost or unrecorded place names. The name Kenndy is a local type of surname and the Kenndy family lived in Treworgy in Duloe. The parish of Kendall in Westmorland was home to many of the family. "On the east bank of the river are the ruins of a castle, the baronial seat of the lords of Kendal, and the birthplace of Catherine Parr, the last queen of Henry VIII." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. "The manufacture of 'Kendal green' made this town early famous, and of necessity caused the surname to be common." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)[3]CITATION[CLOSE]Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print However, another source disagrees with these sources. "The general opinion seems to be that this family is of different origin from that of the Kendalls of Westmorland, whose name is derived from Kirby-in-Kendale. Kendall signifies to see or behold the dale or valley; otherwise Kendall or Cendall is fine linen; and Cendale may be a corruption of Pendall, i. e. the head of the valley." [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.

Kenndy Early Origins

The surname Kenndy was first found in Treworgy in Duloe, and are traced to Richard Kendall or Treworgy, Burgess for Lunceston in the forty-third of Edward III. For many centuries Pelyn was the family seat for this family. And it here that Walter, the third son of John Kendall of Treworgy married a daughter and coheir of Robert Holland, an illegitimate son of a Duke of Exeter. [5]CITATION[CLOSE]Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print. "The Kendalls of Cornwall, long and still resident at Pelyn, were formerly of Treworgy in that county." [4]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Later, the YorkshirePoll Tax Rolls of 1379 had the following listings of the family: Johannes de Kendall; Thomas de Kendale; Edmundus de Kendall and finally Johannes de Kendall, Webster. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6) John de Kendale was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. [6]CITATION[CLOSE]Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)

Kenndy Spelling Variations

Kenndy Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Kendall, Kendal, Kendel, Kendell, Kendale and others.

Kenndy Early History

Kenndy Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kenndy research. Another 423 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1577, 1643, 1625, 1640, 1647, 1708, 1690, 1694, 1686 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Kenndy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kenndy Early Notables (pre 1700)

Kenndy Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the family at this time was Nicholas Kendall ( c. 1577-1643), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1625 and 1640 killed in action fighting on the Royalist side in the English Civil War; and James Kendall (1647-1708), English soldier and...

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kenndy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Kenndy: George Kendall, who came to the Virginia colony in 1606; William Kendal, who settled in Virginia in 1653 with his wife Mary; Henry,John and Robert Kendall, who all settled in Virginia in 1635.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Thirsk, Joan. The Agrarian History of England and Wales. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 7 Volumes. Print.

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The Kenndy Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Kenndy Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.